On a very hot Friday, 7 February, 1969, just after 7.00am, the Southern Aurora, Australia’s overnight express passenger train between Sydney and Melbourne, collided head-on with an Albury-bound goods train, 174km north of Melbourne. The Melbourne-bound Southern Aurora ran through the Violet Town crossing loop where it should have waited for the goods train to pass.

A beautiful new book highlighting the railroad photography of American photographer and train enthusiast David Plowden provoked a certain train of thought (sorry, I couldn’t resist!): Requiem for steam :… Read More ›